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Za'Darius Smith Coming Out of Retirement to Join Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons signed veteran pass rusher Za'Darius Smith on Tuesday, bringing the three-time Pro Bowler out of retirement less than a year after he stepped away from the NFL. Smith retired on Oct. 13, 2025 after playing five games for Philadelphia, where he recorded 1.5 sacks. He was much more productive the year before, finishing 2024 with nine sacks while splitting time between Cleveland and Detroit. Atlanta has an immediate need on the edge. Jalon Walker is out for the season with a torn ACL, while James Pearce Jr. will miss the first eight games because of a league suspension. Smith also has some familiarity with head coach Kevin Stefanski from their time together in Cleveland. He turns 34 in September and has not played since last October, so his early workload is still something to watch. Even so, Smith brings 70.5 career sacks to a Falcons front that suddenly needed another proven option.
Source: Jonathan Jones
Source: Jonathan Jones
